Consumer confidence improves further

21/05/2014 09:30

The mood among Dutch consumers improved further in May relative to April. The confidence indicator climbed 3 points to reach -2. Currently, pessimists still outnumber optimists, though only just. Consumers are more positive about the economic situation. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), willingness-to-buy also improved relative to April.

Consumer confidence has risen almost continuously since the summer of 2013 and is now at the same level as by the end of 2007.

Consumer confidence

Over the past three months, consumers have been positive about the economic climate and optimism is growing. The improvement in May is entirely due to consumers’ opinions about the economic climate over the past 12 months. Their opinions on the economic climate in the next 12 months remained stable. The component indicator Economic climate climbed 3 points to reach 10.

Willingness-to-buy also increased in May relative to April. Consumers thought the time to buy expensive items, like washing machines and TV sets, was more favourable than in the preceding month. Their opinions about their own financial situation in the next 12 months veered from slightly negative to cautiously optimistic. Consumers’ opinions on their financial situation over the past 12 months hardly changed. On balance, the component indicator Willingness-to-buy rose 3 points to -10.